Capote/Baldwin is a set of two shows being presented in
repertory, each about a noted and influential twentieth century
author. But, aside from the fact that they were both gay, these two
writers had almost nothing in common. Truman Capote was white and from
the south, while James Baldwin was black and from the north. Capote
reveled in his celebrity and longed to be accepted by Manhattan
society, while Baldwin turned his back on his own country and moved to
France in search of acceptance. In pairing them, Mauckingbird
illustrates the diversity of experiences and expression within the gay
community.

Chris Faith plays Capote in Tru, Jay Presson Allen's play
which had a successful Broadway run two decades ago starring Robert
Morse. It's running with The Threshing Floor, a world premiere
about Baldwin written and performed by James William Ijames.
Fittingly, the two plays are quite different experiences: Tru
is a light, breezy entertainment that celebrates Capote as a
personality more than as a writer, while The Threshing Floor is
a more thoughtful examination of Baldwin and his struggle with his
place in society. Tru is enjoyable, but it's The Threshing
Floor that's the more intriguing and fulfilling play.

Tru takes place at Christmastime in 1975, and finds Capote
is at a low point in his career. He takes the opportunity to address
the audience about his life as he lounges around his Manhattan
apartment (both shows share the same living room set). Under Tony
Braithwaite's direction, Faith does a good job of recreating the
unique voice and attitude so memorable from Capote's many television
appearances. Faith is clearly having a lot of fun as he interacts with
audience members (asking questions and making deep eye contact), all
the while dropping quips like "It's a scientific fact that for every
year you live in California, you lose two points of your IQ" and "I used
to be famous for writing booksnow I'm famous for being famous."
That last remark turns out to be a telling one. Tru ends up
depicting Capote as a sad and pathetic figure trading on his former
glories and desperately trying to ingratiate himself with stars like
Ava Gardner. When Faith read an excerpt from Capote's "A Christmas
Memory" on opening night, some of the audience members gasped; it
seemed astonishing that such beautiful prose could come from the
walking cartoon depicted onstage.

The Threshing Floor aims for a more nuanced portrait of its
subject, and succeeds. Like Tru, The Threshing Floor is
filled with anecdotes, but instead of focusing on one period, it tells
a more linear story about Baldwin. Covering everything from his
childhood in Harlem in the 1920s to his career as a teenaged preacher
to his status in the 1960s as both a pariah and a "mouthpiece for the
black intelligentsia," the play gives a swift (70 minutes) and
satisfying overview of Baldwin's life. At times Ijames' objectivity
seems suspect; the framework of the play is an interview by a
fictional, fawning graduate student who tells Baldwin "You're my
idol," and it often seems like he's a stand-in for the playwright. But
after seeing Capote's life diminished by his play, it's a relief to
see a play that honors Baldwin's literary achievements above
everything else.

Ijames the performer doesn't succeed quite as well as Ijames the
playwright. His portrayal of Baldwin is subtle and insinuating, but he
also plays over a dozen other characters, and his voice and movements
don't always vary enough to delineate them well. (There were two
moments when I thought Baldwin was speaking, until the character
addressed Baldwin by saying "Hey, Jimmy.") Director Brandon McShaffrey
sometimes relies on changes in lighting and music to make changes in
scene and character more comprehensible. (Matthew Miller's lighting in
The Threshing Floor is excellent; oddly, his lighting in
Tru seems haphazard, with lights dimming and brightening for no
apparent reason.)

You'll leave both shows with a lot of admiration for their gifted
stars, but these plays leave very different tastes. Tru is
pleasant, but it's a somewhat shallow work that emphasizes Capote the
social gadfly more than Capote the talented, insightful writer. The
Threshing Floor has more depth, depicting James Baldwin as a man
of great integrity, unafraid to show his true nature. It marks an
exciting playwriting debut.

Tru and The Threshing Floor are running in repertory
through January 31, 2010, at the Adrienne Theatre's Second Stage, 2030
Sansom Street. Ticket prices range from $15 to $20 and may be
purchased by calling the box office at 215-923-8909, online at
www.MauckingbirdTheatreCo.org or in person at the box office.

Capote/Baldwin
Costume Design: Marie Anne Chiment
Lighting Design: Matthew Miller
Sound Design: Matthew LorenzTru
By Jay Presson Allen from the words and works of Truman Capote
Directed by Tony Braithwaite
Cast:
Truman Capote... Chris FaithThe Threshing Floor
By James William Ijames. Inspired by the life and interview of James Baldwin
Directed by Brandon McShaffrey